Watch movement



April 21, 1964 R. BEAUMANN WATCH MOVEMENT Filed Feb. 26, 1962 FIG."-

INVENTOR Regmond Beaumann BY @440 zw United States Patent Office 3,129,556 Patented Apr. 21, 1964 3,129,556 WATCH MOVEMENT Raymond Beaumann, Les Bois, Switzerland, assignor to Derby S.A., Canton of Neuchatel, Switzerland Filed Feb. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 175,439 Claims priority, application Switzerland Mar. 2, 1961 4 Claims. (Cl. 58-59) The present invention relates to a watch movement comprising a barrel rotatably mounted by means of a tubular barrel hub on a barrel axle fixedly fastened to the pillar plate, the barrel cover being formed by the winding ratchet wheel. The ratchet Wheel and the attached barrel core are rotatably mounted on the tubular barrel hub, the barrel core and the barrel being axially secured on the hub by means of a retaining member.

The watch movement according to the invention is characterized in that the barrel axle has a first axial portion adjacent the pillar plate whose cross section is greater than the cross section of a second axial portion spaced from the first portion in a direction away from the plate, and greater than the cross section of a third portion intermediate the first and second portions. The barrel hub has three corresponding portions. The first and second portions of the barrel hub conformingly and rotatably engage the first and second axle portions, whereas the third hub portion intermediate the first and second hub portions has a cross section greater than the cross section of the corresponding third axle portion. As a consequence, there is an annular free space between the third portions of the axle and of the barrel hub, the whole arrangement being such that, after removal of the retaining member, the barrel can be taken out of the watch movement by at first axially moving the barrel away from the pillar plate, thereafter moving the barrel laterally, and afterwards axially lifting it out.

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example one embodiment of the watch movement according to the invention only insofar as is necessary for the understanding of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a portion of the watch movement.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line lIl--III of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IVIV of FIG. 1.

A barrel axle 1 is fastened in a pillar plate 2 by a press fit. A barrel 4 having a toothing 5 is rotatably mounted on the barrel axle 1 by means of a tubular barrel hub 3. The barrel cover is formed by the Winding ratchet wheel 6 which is fixed on the barrel core 7. Non-illustrated means are provided for connecting the inner end of the mainspring to the core, and for hooking the outer end of the mainspring to the drum of the barrel 4. The barrel core 7 is rotatably mounted on the tubular hub 3.

The barrel axle 1 is stepped and has, adjacent the pillar plate 2, a first cylindrical bearing portion or hearing section 8 and, adjacent its free end 29, a second cylindrical bearing portion or bearing section 9 of smaller diameter than the first portion 3. These two portions are spaced by an intermediate portion 9' of a diameter equal to that of the second bearing portion. The tubular hub 3 of the barrel 4 is rotatably mounted on these bearing portions 8 and 9. The tubular hub 3 has a first bore 10 of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the first bearing portion 8 of the barrel axle 1, and a second bore 11 of a diameter corresponding to the diameter of the second bearing portion 9 of the barrel axle 1. The first bore consists of a portion 10', which forms a bearing seat, and a free portion 10". The axial length of the first bore 1t) is larger than the axial length of the first bearing portion 8 of the barrel axle 1 so that a free space 12 is formed between the lower end of the bearing portion 9 and the portion 10" of the bore 10 as is seen in FIGS. 2 to 4. The axial length of the bearing portion 9 is approximately equal to the axial length of the bore 10 and the axial length of the bearing portion 8 approximately equal to the axial length of the bore 11.

A retaining member serves the purpose of holding the barrel 4 and its core '7 in axial direction. The said retaining member has the shape of an oblong stirrup 13 of small thickness and is fixed to the supporting frame of the Watch movement at opposite sides of the barrel 4. At one end, the stirrup 13 is rockingly mounted by means of a head stud 14, forced into a train wheel bridge 15. On its other end, the stirrup 13 has a lateral opening 16 adapted to engage the shank of a screw 17. The shank is threaded in a pillar 18 inserted in the pillar plate 2. If the stirrup 13 is fixed by means of the screw 17 (as shown in the drawing), its slightly curved middle portion bears elastically against the end face of the barrel axle 1 and, thereby, secures the tubular hub 3, the barrel core 7, the barrel 4 and the winding ratchet wheel 6 on the axle 1.

The toothing 5 of the barrel 4 is in engagement with a pinion 19 of a large driving wheel 20 whose axis lies outside the center of the watch movement. The wheel 20 rigidly connected with its pinion 19 drives the escapement of the watch movement in a well-known manner. FIG. 3 also shows an intermediate wheel 21 held with friction by a wire spring 22 on the axle of the pinion 19.

The winding ratchet wheel 6 is in mesh with a crown Wheel 23 rotatably held on the bridge 15 by means of a screw 24. The crown wheel 23 meshes with a Winding pinion 25 which can be operated by means of a winding stem 26. FIG. 4 shows a hand-setting wheel 27 rotatably mounted on a stud 28 secured in the pillar plate 2.

As shown in the drawing, the toothing 5 of the barrel 4 is partly covered by the rim of the train wheel bridge 15. In spite of this fact, it is possible to take the barrel out of the watch movement without disassembling a great portion of the movement. If, after loosening of the screw 17, the stirrup 13 is swung around the stud 14 and the crown wheel 23 is removed, the barrel 4 can at first be axially displaced to increase its distance from the pillar plate 2. Thereafter, the barrel 4 is laterally moved to bring it out of reach of the train wheel bridge 15 and, finally, the barrel 4 is again displaced axially in the same direction as at the first axial displacement. The first axial displacement is limited in that the toothing 5 of the barrel 4 strikes against the rim of the train wheel bridge 15, as may be seen from FIGS. 2 to 4. For this reason, the barrel 4 must be given a lateral displacement which is possible due to the fact that on the first axial displacement the lower portion of the tubular hub 3 of the barrel 4 comes within the free space 12 so that the barrel 4 can be moved laterally by an amount corresponding to the Width of the space 12. This lateral displacement is sufficient to let the toothing 5 of the barrel 4 clear the rim of the train wheel bridge 15, so that the barrel 4 can be taken out of the watch movement.

Therefore the watch movement according to the invention has no true barrel bridge and the stirrup 13 replaces the screw with large head, which is usually screwed into the fixed barrel axle to secure the barrel in axial direction. In the illustrated example the barrel axle 1 actually has such a small diameter that it would be impossible to provide it with an interior thread receiving the abovementioned screw. However, if a larger diameter were given to the barrel axle, it would be to the detriment of the space available in the barrel for receiving the mainspring.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, the scope of the invention is not limited thereto, but includes such modifications and rearrangements of the several parts as may come within the pur! view of the appended claims.

I claim: 1. A watch movement comprising (a) a supporting frame including a pillar plate, (b) a barrel axle fixedly secured to said plate and axially projecting therefrom, said axle being stepped, having a free end, and forming a first and second bearing section, said first bearing section being on the side of said plate, said second bearing section being near said free end and having a diameter smaller than that of said first bearing section, said two bearing sections being spaced from each other by an intermediate portion of said axle'having a diameter substantially equal to that of said second bearing section, (c) a tubular barrel hub having a first and a second bore, said first bore having adjacently to each other a bearing portion and a free portion, said bearing portion corresponding to and supporting said first bearing section, said second bore corresponding to and supporting said second bearing section, said free portion being intermediate said second bore and said bearing portion, said barrel hub being rotatably mounted on said two bearing sections, said intermediate axle portion and said intermediate free portion of said first bore defining a free annular space, (d) a barrel rigidly connected with said barrel hub, (e) a barrel core rotatably mounted on said barrel hub, (f) a winding ratchet wheel constituting a barrel cover and being fixedly secured to said barrel core, said 4 barrel, barrel hub, barrel core, and barrel cover constituting a barrel assembly, and (g) a retaining member mounted to hold said barrel assembly in a fixed axial position, removal of said 5 retaining member permitting said barrel assembly to be taken out of the watch movement by moving said barrel assembly first axially away from said plate, then laterally within said free annular space, and finally again axially away from said plate.

2. In the watch movement according to claim 1, the axial lengths of said bearing portion of said first bore and said second bearing section, and the axial lengths of the second bore and said first bearing section, being substantially equal.

3. In the watch movement according to claim 1, a fastening screw on said supporting frame, said retaining member being elongated and having two terminal portions, one of said terminal portions being pivotally secured to said frame, the other of said terminal portions being formed with a recess lockingly engageable by said fastening screw, the places at which said terminal portions are secured to said frame being on opposite sides of said free end of said barrel axle.

4. In a watch movement as set forth in claim 1, said retaining member being of resilient material and having a central portion intermediate said terminal portions abuttingly engaging said free end of said barrel axle under the resilient force of said retaining member.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

1. A WATCH MOVEMENT COMPRISING (A) A SUPPORTING FRAME INCLUDING A PILLAR PLATE, (B) A BARREL AXLE FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID PLATE AND AXIALLY PROJECTING THEREFROM, SAID AXLE BEING STEPPED, HAVING A FREE END, AND FORMING A FIRST AND SECOND BEARING SECTION, SAID FIRST BEARING SECTION BEING ON THE SIDE OF SAID PLATE, SAID SECOND BEARING SECTION BEING NEAR SAID FREE END AND HAVING A DIAMETER SMALLER THAN THAT OF SAID FIRST BEARING SECTION, SAID TWO BEARING SECTIONS BEING SPACED FROM EACH OTHER BY AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF SAID AXLE HAVING A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THAT OF SAID SECOND BEARING SECTION, (C) A TUBULAR BARREL HUB HAVING A FIRST AND A SECOND BORE, SAID FIRST BORE HAVING ADJACENTLY TO EACH OTHER A BEARING PORTION AND A FREE PORTION, SAID BEARING PORTION CORRESPONDING TO AND SUPPORTING SAID FIRST BEARING SECTION, SAID SECOND BORE CORRESPONDING TO AND SUPPORTING SAID SECOND BEARING SECTION, SAID FREE PORTION BEING INTERMEDIATE SAID SECOND BORE AND SAID BEARING PORTION, SAID BARREL HUB BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID TWO BEARING SECTIONS, SAID INTERMEDIATE AXLE PORTION AND SAID INTERMEDIATE FREE PORTION OF SAID FIRST BORE DEFINING A FREE ANNULAR SPACE, (D) A BARREL RIGIDLY CONNECTED WITH SAID BARREL HUB, (E) A BARREL CORE ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID BARREL HUB, (F) A WINDING RATCHET WHEEL CONSTITUTING A BARREL COVER AND BEING FIXEDLY SECURED TO SAID BARREL CORE, SAID BARREL, BARREL HUB, BARREL CORE, AND BARREL COVER CONSTITUTING A BARREL ASSEMBLY, AND (G) A RETAINING MEMBER MOUNTED TO HOLD SAID BARREL ASSEMBLY IN A FIXED AXIAL POSITION, REMOVAL OF SAID RETAINING MEMBER PERMITTING SAID BARREL ASSEMBLY TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE WATCH MOVEMENT BY MOVING SAID BARREL ASSEMBLY FIRST AXIALLY AWAY FROM SAID PLATE, THEN LATERALLY WITHIN SAID FREE ANNULAR SPACE, AND FINALLY AGAIN AXIALLY AWAY FROM SAID PLATE. 